tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85348319048460760252024-03-14T01:36:43.745-07:00The Braveheart FilesBraveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-60947772051235817022022-06-07T19:27:00.005-07:002022-06-07T19:30:05.933-07:00Update: Tiercel with a Bright White Chest - We Have Closure<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7A79vS7A4z2fzoBHjBlPVlNnc3sulqnE3LF3b71bJiT5SUcljdbIpifMW2Pabou60G_T0B4QXfw0ux4pY28LllIARNKLmAWvVEi9x7AKa7-hqSp_8bp2w_8FuLT8yyjabamW1Mr6tUEqAKgb9D_gUKYjK3_aDt_FmmgAUFZru4Zu50loMXLhPZeqd/s1579/3.25.18%20Beauty%20&%20Dot.ca%20Bowing%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1579" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7A79vS7A4z2fzoBHjBlPVlNnc3sulqnE3LF3b71bJiT5SUcljdbIpifMW2Pabou60G_T0B4QXfw0ux4pY28LllIARNKLmAWvVEi9x7AKa7-hqSp_8bp2w_8FuLT8yyjabamW1Mr6tUEqAKgb9D_gUKYjK3_aDt_FmmgAUFZru4Zu50loMXLhPZeqd/w361-h162/3.25.18%20Beauty%20&%20Dot.ca%20Bowing%20(1).JPG" width="361" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /> Although peregrines have adapted to a life in the city it is in many ways much more dangerous than their natural cliffside habitat.The glass covered skyscrapers & traffic congestion being the two most deadly for them. DC knew the Rochester skies well as he had been flying over them since 2012. He had only migrated once early on and so was used to the harsh upstate NY winters. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But he was now a senior falcon approaching his</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> 12th year. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I had wanted to believe he had migrated this past winter as it would have explained his absence. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But in my heart I really doubted it. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> On the 18th of May we got an answer to his disappearance. W</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 16.32px;">hile on a 911 call at the old Rochester Riverside Hotel firefighter Neal & his partner found a deceased peregrine falcon on a lower roof. They did some research and realized we were missing one and contacted Rfalconcam. Our DEC contact</span></span></span><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "sans-serif"" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.32px;">, Amy Mahar, was notified and she came to Rochester. She was able to confirm that the deceased falcon was indeed Dot.ca, Black Band/13 over Y. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "sans-serif"" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.32px;"> It appeared he had collided with the building and died instantly. I believe it may have been one of the blinding snowstorms with relentless winter winds that caused his demise. I would like to thank the firefighters for taking the time to give us answers we needed for closure. The DEC has been asked to bury DC together with his beloved Beauty and I thank them for agreeing to. Now they fly high and free together and will never be forgotten. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span face="Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, "sans-serif"" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.32px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-88061970102724289492022-04-10T18:47:00.002-07:002022-04-10T18:47:46.106-07:00Tiercel With a Bright White Chest: The Story of Dot.ca<p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> I wanted to believe DC had just migrated now that he is in his senior years and would be returning any day. He had migrated once before in the 2012 winter season and returned the following March on St. Patrick's Day. Every day I've searched the camera views for a bright white speck of hope announcing his return. But the day of luck came and went without him making an appearance. He may not have survived the migration or</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> possibly he did not make it through one of the harshest winters we've had in quite some time with the snow, wind and cold temperatures. While we'll never know for certain what happened he did not return.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And so it is with great sadness that I believe our beloved DC whom I affectionately called Dot is gone forever from the Rochester skies. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> DC hatched in May of 2010 on the 18th floor of the Sun Life Financial Center in downtown Etobicoke, Ontario, CA to parents Angel & Jack. He had 2 other male siblings, Blackberry & Mercedes. He fledged successfully and needed to be rescued once from a balcony. It was a rather stressful nesting season as Jack was attempting to manage 2 different nest sites, something DC would inherit from him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> In April 2012 DC showed up in Rochester in the midst of several traumatic events. Beauty had been severely injured in a battle with Unity and after being rescued was in rehab. Unity had claimed the Times Square nest box and was close to laying a egg when Archer appeared with injuries to his legs and then was not seen again. Alone with her egg Unity begins mating with DC.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I didn't want to like him. I felt he was responsible for the loss of my father falcon Archer. Falcon watchers know that feeling, your head knows it is the falcon way but your heart isn't quite there yet.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In yet another twist of fate Unity is struck and killed by a car the on same day as Beauty returns to Rochester after being released from Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Not knowing the events that have transpired both Beauty and DC claim the Times Square box as their own. DC attempts to drive her out with continuous dive bombing but she isn't going anywhere. Finally after 3 weeks they are </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">seen bowing and</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> eventually mating takes place. Beauty lays her first 2 eggs with DC</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">On June 20th 2012 one of the eggs begins to hatch while DC is sitting on them. He is quite surprised to see his newborn eyas. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Orion the miracle pefa is banded on July 13th becoming the 1st of Beauty and DC's offspring. The firstborn of a legacy that will last for years to come. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">For the next 9 years DC and Beauty will rule the Rochester skies. Together producing 31 offspring over those years in clutches of 3 to 4 eyas. DC also mates with Pigott at the BS sight and then after she moves on another female that takes up residence there following in the footsteps of his dad Jack.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> DC was an amazing hunter and great provider. He loved sitting on his eggs and there was often quite the standoff when Beauty returned and he didn't want to budge from them. These standoffs could last for quite some time with much vocalization between them until Beauty either kicked him off or on occasion gave in and let him stay. He also loved to feed the eyas once they hatched. When Beauty let him help with the feedings he often indulged himself as well and it was hilarious to watch. As the eyas grew Beauty & DC would do tandem feedings which were always fun to watch especially when the girls were outgrowing DC in size. As the eyas near fledge Beauty & DC would do flybys attempting to coax them off the ledge. After fledge they were busy teaching them the ways of the falcon and learning how to hunt. DC would usually be in charge of teaching the boys and took them on day trips as they got more experienced.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJmGOqCD7_tgbEiaxt76XbnD3YyMCXNCKC1i8kNrja0uxo0bEfCDskJrm6hdnhUJnoqDxY55c1Ms6LF0eTRzk8nCP9mAuMcud7DditSeQlbBFptudMYKK7ROKAl10QimkG503gXvbHc3QWzsqgUcHuJL8_v0jnZrcBonA5BBGxk5mlh_tG3IPU8jw/s1578/17834085_10155338986559668_7209543934286907349_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1578" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJmGOqCD7_tgbEiaxt76XbnD3YyMCXNCKC1i8kNrja0uxo0bEfCDskJrm6hdnhUJnoqDxY55c1Ms6LF0eTRzk8nCP9mAuMcud7DditSeQlbBFptudMYKK7ROKAl10QimkG503gXvbHc3QWzsqgUcHuJL8_v0jnZrcBonA5BBGxk5mlh_tG3IPU8jw/w460-h223/17834085_10155338986559668_7209543934286907349_o.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> Memories flood my mind of Dot.ca and I will be forever glad I have them. DC and Beauty next to each other on a on a ledge on OCSR. DC watching over his territory from high atop the Times Square Building. And DC delivering a meal to Beauty on the Mercury statue. This tiercel with a bright white chest will be missed but not forgotten. His legacy lives on. Fly free Dot.ca.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Braveheart</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0qBNjzNkqzs-pVTtgnbUOWzeKes1gClAxGl4l_0Vr_FY2SIaAE1HVT0WL4f_Lo6DF-qq7mPWl9jSv5gCNaknbitzdKV0J_1ZJ196StVOdVJjy8stHHLp5C7pBW9ByygSAgXqzJPfDpIOu1Xplb23mWDqEAB2EhodScNIy8jDsnb4_4XfGPp3TmWf/s561/DC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="537" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0qBNjzNkqzs-pVTtgnbUOWzeKes1gClAxGl4l_0Vr_FY2SIaAE1HVT0WL4f_Lo6DF-qq7mPWl9jSv5gCNaknbitzdKV0J_1ZJ196StVOdVJjy8stHHLp5C7pBW9ByygSAgXqzJPfDpIOu1Xplb23mWDqEAB2EhodScNIy8jDsnb4_4XfGPp3TmWf/w347-h363/DC.jpg" width="347" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><b><u>NOTE</u></b></i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was nearly finished with this story last week when we lost Beauty and struggled to finish it but hope I have it justice even in this time of great loss.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;"> </span></p>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-61492834293432488712021-06-30T18:21:00.002-07:002021-06-30T18:33:27.757-07:00To Freyja<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUFtXX2CgLINwDUQM2yIqi5-ZLqM6QnOwKvb5S8TfdlD_VNbrzD-zPMTs2fWKDt1Tf83dn8E7z7FqB4OfpL2VLVHoBjjGn_KhKT0lom0343Eo3PE5VGgThonUqOiGQk0KY5hyphenhypheneUOmyB8/s720/4.19.21+Freyja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUFtXX2CgLINwDUQM2yIqi5-ZLqM6QnOwKvb5S8TfdlD_VNbrzD-zPMTs2fWKDt1Tf83dn8E7z7FqB4OfpL2VLVHoBjjGn_KhKT0lom0343Eo3PE5VGgThonUqOiGQk0KY5hyphenhypheneUOmyB8/s320/4.19.21+Freyja.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /> To Freyja</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I dreamt of you long before your hatch.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The name I chose for you befitting of a peregrine.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A Norse goddess wearing a cloak of falcon feathers.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I watched you grow I nervously awaited your time to fly wild and free.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">To soar the skies above the city your parents rule.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But it was not meant to be.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Fate somehow interrupted your destiny.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And your short life was no more.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And now as I watch your brother Golden learn the way of the falcon.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My eyes leak and my heart breaks at the thought of what might have been.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">But I will never forget you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Fly free my precious girl.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All my Love, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Braveheart</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">6.30.21</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-37613898731244442462019-10-14T11:46:00.001-07:002019-10-14T11:46:45.314-07:00The Story of Sir Laredo Bam Bini It has been a year today since my precious boy passed away and so it is time to tell his story. I had 13 wonderful years with him and although he had his quirks like an insatiable appetite for plastic and Parmesan cheese I loved every minute of it.<br />
The first part of this story is taken from the original story I wrote in 2001 after I found him and is about how he got his formal name and I am leaving it the original way I wrote it then with the original title :<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="color: blue;">**Be careful
what you pray for because you’ll always get what you really need<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> I had been kind of down the past
month of May mainly due to my car situation. It seems that Ester Lou, my 92 Geo
Metro, is ready for car heaven. With my prospects for financing looking grim,
it is a big concern to me. So I have been praying for a car.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> Them, on Wednesday May 30th, I
opened my door to go down and put my laundry in the dryer. There in the hall
stands this tiny little adorable kitten. I don’t know where he came from; I
had overheard someone talking in the hallway earlier and think they must have
dropped him off there. I yell for Timothy and within minutes kitten is inside
our apartment, of course Timothy is instantly in love with him.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> I immediately looked up and said
“Lord I said car not cat.” Could He have misunderstood me? Was His hearing as
bad as mine I wondered? I knew of course that this was not the case, God always
knows what He’s doing better than I do.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> I tried to be standoffish at first,
adamant that we were not going to keep her. However God knows my heart better
than that, slowly and surely he was winding his little ball of fur around my
soul.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> Of course he is a little monster.
Tearing all over the place and biting everything in sight-teething we think.
When he finally gets exhausted, he plops down on top of you purring his little heart out.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> So what could I do but keep him,
after all God had put him right in from of my door so there must be a reason
for it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> And his name? Why its Laredo of
course. A current Country single about a guy trying to win back his girl.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">Oh oh Laredo <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">Don’t let her go<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;">Just take her by the heart<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">And let the wheels turn slow<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">Oh oh Laredo<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">You’re my only hope<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">Just get her back <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">To the day we met, cause<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: blue;">That’s as far as she needs to get<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: blue;"> And so he is my Laredo- restoring
my soul with faith, hope, joy, and peace. Thank you God for giving me what you
knew I needed most.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="color: blue;"> And to that poor lost soul who left
her in my hallway-you are forgiven. Although you may not have had the best of
intentions, God <u>always</u> does. Go in peace!<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there he was, a kitten named Laredo that I tried very hard not to love at first. Having just separated the year before and being in the midst of a divorce I didn't want to let anything into my heart . But I couldn't help myself, after all I am a lover of all things animal. And so into the apartment he came and he would make it his domain. And the Bam Bini, Italian for baby , influenced by the 3 years we lived there and he was most definitely mine He was also called Bam Bam by his vets as they thought he was named after the Flintstones character. But a royal cat he was and with much character to boot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After finding him in the hallway, I heard from neighbors that people in the other building connected to mine had been evicted for breeding cats that same day. So that explained where he had come from but why did they leave only him. And then the first time my cousin saw him she said you have a cat there I have seen at cat shows, a Turkish Van. So I read everything I could on this breed and he was a perfect match except for one thing. The breed standard is an all white body with a colored tail & coloring on the head. But Bam Bini also had 3 colored spots on his body. And although I saw several photos of Vans with colored body spots I think the breeders thought he would be less valuable and that is why he was dropped in my hallway. He had no undercoat but had a much thicker winter coat which he would shed in the Spring. He also had a fondness for water and did not mind getting wet and always much preferred drinking from the sink. And he grew into that magnificent tail, the large breed cat he surely was.</div>
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He was never big on toys but he loved a couple, one being a golf ball he played with only in the bathroom. I would wake up hear him playing golf at night. And the other being a spider toy I found,. He actually pulled all 6 legs off the first one and I think I bought two more. He grew up with my Diamond dove pair and I trained him not to get on their cage with a cafeteria tray that would tip if he stepped on it. Tim taught him two things he never forgot, first to open the balcony screen door with his paw if he wanted to come in and 2nd, when he shook the coin purse of quarters it was time to race down three flights of stairs to the laundry room. The only problem was getting him to come back up the stairs. He wasn't the most affectionate of cats but he did like to be scratched behind his ears. And lapsitting required caution since he might just decide to bite after a few minutes. But I loved him with all of my heart.<br />
There were a couple of scares over the years like the time he ate rubber bands & we nearly lost him. But the vet was able to flush his stomach and saved him. I never allowed another rubber band in the apartment. And he got very sick after grabbing a huge hunk of cheese off the table and trying to eat it all at once which required meds from the vet. But he was a generally healthy cat up until the end albeit he had litter box issues from time to time. It was difficult watching him decline in his last year. His appetite just wasn't what it once was and he lost a lot of weight. I took him up to the vets at one point thinking it was time but they wanted to try a couple more treatments. Unfortunately that did not help and the vet thought he probably had cancer in his gut somewhere. And so I took him back to the vet and stroked him gently as he crossed over the Bridge. They were very kind and let me stay with him as long as I wanted. I had him cremated and now his ashes are in a beautiful wooden box. I made a special photo album of pictures of him throughout the years. I will never forget this special cat that came into my life at just the right time and I know someday he will be waiting for me.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Editors Note: </i></b><i>This story was originally written August 1,2015</i></div>
Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-87512049644534502112019-10-09T19:03:00.000-07:002019-10-14T10:13:03.509-07:00Peace*Love*Community<div class="_2cuy _3dgx" data-block="true" data-editor="9osmh" data-offset-key="bci1t-0-0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1d2129; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px auto 28px; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 700px; word-wrap: break-word;">
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<span data-offset-key="6ior9-0-0" style="font-family: inherit;"> Thank you for giving me the time off I needed this past week. During those days I read and saw much on Facebook both good and bad. And it became clear in my head and my heart what direction I needed to take with this group. I created this group almost 6 years ago because I was removed from another owl group after speaking up in defense of others. I needed a place to go and a place others could go as well. A place of refuge. I said I would allow anyone to join the group as long as they followed my only rule which was to be nice to each other. It was difficult at first, there were friends of mine that refused to join because I had allowed someone they didn’t like join the group. But I persisted and I kept my word. And the group grew. It started out with MOD’s I knew from the social stream, then MOD’s from chat & SPO joined as well. As time went on friends new to owls also joined. A group of people bound together by their love for owls. During these nearly 6 years there have only been 2 times I’ve had to remove someone because they weren’t following my rule which I think is a pretty good record. I admit the farther away we’ve gotten from those Molly & McGee days the harder it has seemed to keep the group going. Groups have become very popular in the last few years and I think people often get overwhelmed by them. But I have persisted even as seems at times there are very few of the 300 plus members interested. Last fall at the International MOD Meet in Minneapolis I met my friend Sylvia Oey and she asked me why I kept the group going. I believe my reason today is the same as I told her then. If I managed to make just one person’s day by making them laugh or smile or get their mind off all those other things out there then it was worth it. Yes it can be a lot of work at times and sometimes I get discouraged. Take the latest fall coloring contest for example, I gave a month and a half to enter thinking that would create more entries and yet there were only 5. I admit I was disappointed and I still owe the winners their prizes. I considered whether it was time to end the group after that and then I heard about </span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="6ior9-1-0" spellcheck="false" style="background-color: #dce6f8; font-family: inherit;"><span data-offset-key="6ior9-1-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">Susan Shepler Blum</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="6ior9-2-0" style="font-family: inherit;">, who was a group member and had committed suicide. She had suffered from depression & anxiety for many years. I don’t know if she looked at any of the group posts or if it would have made any difference but I wanted others in the group to know they mattered. I wanted them to know if they felt down or sad or lonely that we MOD’s were here for them because it speaks to the very core of what I was trying to do those almost 6 years ago. A place of refuge. And then to this past week which has been most difficult for me. I found myself struggling to reconcile my activity outside this group with my activity inside this group. I did not want to make mistakes with this most treasured place so I told you I needed to take a break and not post. I didn’t know how long it would take but after 2 days things became clear to me on the direction I needed to go with this group. Despite differences we all may have this must remain a place of refuge I still need a place to go - a place of peace, a place of love, a place of community </span><br />
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<span data-offset-key="6ior9-2-0" style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Editors Note: This was originally written in Nov. 2016</i></span></div>
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Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-68820500762369103962016-11-15T15:24:00.000-08:002016-11-15T15:34:51.426-08:00November 15, 2016 I lay face down on the ground defeated<br />
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Surrounded by a cloud of sadness thick as fog<br />
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A deep grief of shattered hopes I held onto<br />
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I was certain it was a bad nightmare I would wake from<br />
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But a week has gone by now and I know better<br />
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I take in a breath of fresh air and cherish it<br />
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How much longer before it will be stifled by pollutants<br />
<br />
The nature that I love faces grave danger<br />
<br />
Will the future generations witness a falcon soar in a blue sky<br />
<br />
and an owl in its silent flight on a moonlit evening<br />
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Or will they become stuffed exhibits only to be seen in a museum<br />
<br />
Many families will now live with the threat of of being torn apart<br />
<br />
Simply because of the partner they choose to love<br />
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Or the county they have fled from for a better life<br />
<br />
I worry about the life saving health care<br />
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That may soon be taken from myself and many others<br />
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And as a woman how can I not help but wonder<br />
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How it become acceptable to treat us with such disrespect<br />
<br />
As objects of desire rather than competent equals<br />
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How did hate and bigotry and bullying win out<br />
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I must find the answers with my actions<br />
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My weapons are just out ahead of me<br />
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I reach through the pain to grab hold of them<br />
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Strength, courage, love, peace, loyalty<br />
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Slowly I stand and gather them into my quiver<br />
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This battle will be long and hard fought<br />
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But I do not fear because I am am not alone<br />
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I have a nation of pantsuits standing with me<br />
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We must prevail because retreat is not an option<br />
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Braveheart<br />
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<br />Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-77864865280446962552015-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:002015-11-21T18:42:12.168-08:00The Store Continued ....... <span style="color: purple;"> It's Oct. 19th 2015, a beautiful sunny fall day. Tomorrow it will be eight years since mom passed.I don't how that much time has gone by so fast but it seems it has. She is often in my thoughts and special times without her still make me lonesome for her laughter, her singing and of course her cooking. But today is a day to celebrate the memories I have of happy times shared and special places visited with her. And so I am heading to one such very special place. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> The drive down is a slow glorious one. The air is cool but the sun is shining and the foliage is spectacular. The trees are in all their splendor, golden yellows, flaming reds and all shades in between. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">As I come into Naples I head right to my favorite place for all things grape, Cindy's. Now fully stocked with grape tarts & cookies I head back to the old standby Bob & Ruth's restaurant to use their outdoor facilities. The park across from them is alight with color. Sunlight streams down through the huge maple trees and the golden leaves look ablaze. After taking some pictures & walking around a bit I notice the beautiful old house across the street has a sign up. Vintage & More Antiques & Vintage it says, I must go investigate the treasures. It's a beautiful old place filled with lovely things but as I walk around I'm not seeing any owls so I inquire. She hasn't any there but we get to talking about collectibles and such. I pick out a green glass bowl that is a piece my mom' green glass collection doesn't have and tell her I'll take it. I tell her my parents were collectors and how we've been coming down this way since I went to Alfred State. That we would come down for the Cohocton Fall festival every year and go to the Bee Hive antique co-op that used to be across from the store. How I loved that Olde Country Store and I was heart broken when it closed and every year since I drive down to check on it. And then she says the most amazing thing. The store she says has in fact reopened. I almost think I have heard her wrong. But no, she tells me some of the story about a German family taking it over and I scarcely can take it in. And the candy I ask hesitantly, yes she says the candy is back also.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> I stand there in total amazement. She has no idea that my heart has just lit up like a Christmas tree. My eyes water on the verge of tears. I wrote a story about the store I tell her, just last year. It's like a dream come true, a miracle I never thought I would see happen. I am beside myself with joy and I all I can think of is getting there to see it for myself. She tells me her name and to tell them she sent me. And I am off and running back to the car with my treasure and a feeling that mom is looking down smiling also. North Cohocton is a 5 mile drive from Naples heading down Rt. 21 south and I feel as if I am floating all the way. As I drive past the old familiar places I am still in shock over what she has told me. And then I am there, pulling into the parking lot across from the store. And I see what despite the beauty of the nature all around me has to be the most splendid sight I have ever seen. A brightly colored open sign on side lawn of the store. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> And the store looks amazing. The exterior gleams in the sunlight and a new sign, The Olde Country Store & More shines brightly on the roof over the porch. The porch is decorated with cornstalks and pumpkins and a neon OPEN sign lights up the window. I can hardly take it in this monumental sight. I grab my camera and take some photos and then grab my purse and head to the door. I step up onto the porch and look around. The Republican & Democratic benches have long since disappeared and I will forever wonder where to. But my mind fills will memories of siting on my favorite blue party bench. The last time I was on this porch I was looking through dirty glass at a few scatted remnants of penny candies. But now I reach forward and grasp the old metal handle of the door firmly and pull. As it it opens I step inside a place I never thought I would be again and I stand there in awe of it. I am welcomed by a girl at the counter and I tell her how I just heard the store was open again and I suppose I went on about my history with it and how I had written a story about it. She tells me they reopened on July 4th</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> After taking it all in I quite naturally turn my attention to the candy. The wooden bins which hold it run the entire length of the store. And they are once again filled with candies of every size, shape and variety. A candy lover's dream come true. </span><span style="color: purple;">And so I do what I had done so many times before, I grab a paper sack & I begin to fill it with the penny candies. Hand candies and taffies, sweet candies and sours, so many favorites to choose from and like old friends I welcome them back. I just can't believe I am in the store once again and I almost don't want to leave. I peruse up and down the candy rows making sure I am taking it all in and missing nothing. I see a beautiful owl Christmas ornament from Germany that I would love but I haven't enough money left today. So I pay for my candies and tell the girl I'll be back again for certain. And with one last look around I force myself out the door. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"> The drive home is slow but steady and I stop at at Bristol to take some photos. I get home and start to put away all my grape things, still in awe of the day. And then I pour out that paper sack and eye all my penny candy treasures, trying to decide which one I should try first. Banana taffy is a favorite of mine but I also like the blue raspberry frooties and the mint juleps. I text my son and tell him the fantastic news about the store. He can't believe it either and is excited to hear all about it. So it isn't until the next afternoon that I go to my blog and reread the story I had written the year before. And then I notice at the bottom there is a comment dated July 24th : <i>Hello Braveheart !!! I just want to inform you that The Olde Country Store is again open !!! At least we are in our startup "soft opening" phase. 9-5 every day of the week. I hope to see you the next time you're in Naples for some grape tarts. Jeff Wells</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><i> </i> I sat there staring at my laptop wondering how I have missed this. If there is a way to get notified when someone comments on my blog I don't know how to do it. But I never imagined anyone connected with the store would read it. And they have a link to their Facebook page which I go check out. And there I find the story about how they came to reopen the store. And what a story it is. Store owner Jeff grows up in nearby Naples,NY on the family farm. Then seeking adventure a tour of duty with the army brings Jeff to Germany. There he meets his wife and they have two daughters. They continue to live in Germany for several years but after the loss of his wife and job a decision is made to return once again to upstate NY. After their original plan of opening a nature center doesn't succeed they go with plan B which is the reopening of The Olde Country Store.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"> And so the store is once again a living breathing vibrant place and I hope it lives on for many more years. The future plans Jeff has for the store make me believe it will. There will be stories to tell by next generation</span><span style="color: purple;">s of the wonderful memories they have of visits to the store. And I am thrilled to once again be making trips every fall to the store. I may make a few trips at other times in between, after all one's candy supply needs to be restocked and I will have to check out all the new things Jeff has planned for the store. Welcome back old friend, I have missed you. Here's to many more years at The Olde Country Store.</span><br />
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Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-79176186397506217872015-10-22T15:05:00.000-07:002015-10-23T10:45:44.157-07:00How to Save a Life : Story of the Colorado Barn Owlets In 2010 when Molly and McGee came on the Ustream scene it was a whole new experience for many of us. The ability to view a pair of barn owls 24/7 through cameras placed in the owl box. People from all over the world logged on to watch. Classrooms around the country used the owl box as a learning experience and logged on to ask Carlos questions about the owls. Molly and McGee became the worlds most famous barn owls and brought owl popularity to new all time high. But there was so much more to be gained from watching them. Not only did they teach us about the life of a barn owl they taught us lessons about life. We learned about their mating rituals, brood patches and lop sided ears. We learned about talons and feathers and pellets which became known as horks. As we watched them raise their two clutches we learned how much care Molly gave her owlets, even helping with their hatching when needed. And we learned how much affection they had for one another. We saw love in that owl box and it and we'll never forget it.<br />
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So fast forward to 2015 and many many owl clutches later. In the years after Molly and McGee owl boxes popped up all over Ustream and there was no shortage of them to watch. And yes we are still out here watching. Things haven't always gone as perfectly as that first clutch of Molly and McGee's. As we learned from their second clutch baby barn owls are so very fragile and sometimes even in the best of circumstances they don't survive. Yes we've seen loss but we've also had the privilege of seeing some what I consider nothing short of miracles. Pete at Starr Ranch became a hero to us after the male of a large barn owl clutch was found dead. We knew the female would not be able to provide enough food for them herself, she needed help. Pete was hesitate to intervene at first but he came to realize it was the right thing to do. And so every night he climbed a 50 ft. ladder to place supplementary rodents in the cavity for the owlets. And it worked , they survived and fledged successfully. Other owl box owners have also done this successfully when rodents seemed in short supply or the parents were not providing enough for the entire clutch. Precious lives have been saved by these food supplements.</div>
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I first heard about the Colorado barn owl cam from a Facebook post and immediately went over to check it out. A clutch of five precious owlets hatched around the middle of August now nearly two months old. The older ones were starting to lose their fluff and golden feathers were appearing. The smallest owlet aptly named Little Mister was still a ball of fuzz. Originally this was thought to be a second clutch of the original barn owl pair but additional information indicated it was a different pair entirely. But something was off with this clutch. It seemed the mom had left the box much to soon for whatever reason. A mother barn owl will usually stay in the box with her clutch shredding food for them until the youngest owlet is able to swallow a rodent whole. But she had left before Little Mister could shred his own food. And he was competing with four older siblings for the food that was being delivered. Even though it appeared both parents were providing food there just wasn't enough to sustain the entire clutch. At their age they they needed to eat 4-6 mice a day. Little Mister was not getting enough food and his decline was inevitable . Attempts to let the cam owners know something was wrong were answered with It's nature. Little Mister passed away on Oct. 8th. The Colorado Avian Research and Rehabilitation Institute announced on it's Facebook page the next day that an owlet had died from lack of food. This didn't have to happen. It may be nature and nature is cruel but as I said to them it's man made nature complete with cams. And we were watching.</div>
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The four remaining owlets Big Bird, Trois, Deux & Pounce continued to struggle for food as deliveries had significantly decreased. We were told they would be banded this past weekend and would receive food then. There was much concern it would be too late and they wouldn't make it. On Saturday the owlets were banded, the box was cleaned and the cam re positioned. According to CARRI 30 mice were left in the box. But the owlets were starving and the rodents were quickly gobbled up. And then deliveries from the parents came to a halt. The remaining owlets had all but been abandoned. We feared they would all starve to death. Donations had been sent specifically for mice for them. Emails & comments went out to CARRI to intervene and rescue the owlets. Finally yesterday we got word that our voices had been heard and the owlets were going to be rescued. But it shouldn't have come to this.</div>
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I am writing this story to honor the life of Little Mister. Short as it was he touched many and I do not want it to be in vain. I believe cam operators have a responsibility to both the birds that occupy the box and the viewers that watch the cams. Yes it's nature but you have already interfered with it. So I am asking CARRI that if you decide to put a cam up in an owl box next year please be responsible. If an owlet clutch needs help then please help them. And if you won't then at the very least be respectful and turn off the cam if something happens. No one wants to watch owlets starve to death unnecessarily. I hope these four precious owlets grow up to fly wild and free as they deserve and I hope Little Mister flys free at the Rainbow Bridge. I want to thank everyone who stepped up and donated, emailed & commented for action to be taken. We saved these owlets and I am very proud to have been a part of it.</div>
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Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-40010049354504382682015-06-16T16:58:00.003-07:002022-06-07T19:36:09.950-07:00Words from Braveheart to the 2015 Clutch<div class="MsoNormal">
<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJvi2xXZjgb0ljtedvvzxnOISNU47rSi8biCrK6MWbnuxq5U52nm0Ew5HwKqLPJzinBZvnbx0QULQLNtFHlLLj0OvhyvXG4pxC9mPkFOSz2j0aswldSe8STZvzICk4LipIRnLyYVInDjJoY_4VC2urPtwfmEPFvjzqNep1FJ0arAaqP9SPOLI_PB_/s564/a22b7ccc624fba80fcd23beff56cf5b8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="564" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJvi2xXZjgb0ljtedvvzxnOISNU47rSi8biCrK6MWbnuxq5U52nm0Ew5HwKqLPJzinBZvnbx0QULQLNtFHlLLj0OvhyvXG4pxC9mPkFOSz2j0aswldSe8STZvzICk4LipIRnLyYVInDjJoY_4VC2urPtwfmEPFvjzqNep1FJ0arAaqP9SPOLI_PB_/s320/a22b7ccc624fba80fcd23beff56cf5b8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />To Cadence, Genesee, & Bronx,</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Well it certainly
has been a day of new</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">adventures and tonight may be one of the last<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">nights the three of
you spend together so it's</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">time for a talk.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Maybe it's that I'm
getting older but it seems like</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">the time goes faster every year.</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">One day you are
fluffy white eyas and the next</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">you are in full juvie plumage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">One of you shares a
birthday with me and</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">although I'm not certain which you are all a very</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">special
clutch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Your parents have
done a wonderful job and will</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">continue to teach you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">So now as you hear
the sky calling to you listen</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">and learn so you may fly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">High and strong,
wild and and free as a</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: blue; font-size: large; line-height: 107%;">peregrine is born to.</span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">As you fledge I
pray your wings will carry you</span></span></div>
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<span face="Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">safely on your journeys.</span><span style="color: #505050; font-size: xx-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Love Braveheart 6.14.15</span></div>
Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-57398079917647034682014-10-15T19:12:00.000-07:002014-10-17T16:49:43.709-07:00The Store Seven years ago today on Oct. 15th, 2007 would be the last time I would set foot inside the store. The photos from that day are like treasures now, the only ones I have from the interior and of those famous benches. Tim was home from college and we headed down to the southern tier to check out the fall foliage and get grape tarts. We had actually driven all the way to Alfred that day. It seems fitting now for that is where it all began and how we found the store.<br />
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In 1980 I started college at Alfred State and thus began the trips back and forth between home and there. Heading south from Geveva on Rt.245 past Middlesex and picking up Rt. 21 south in Naples. continuing on past Naples a left turn onto 21 into North Cohocton and there it was, the store. The Kinsfolks Olde Country Store was built in 1849 and has been a store for over 100 years. It served as a full grocery store to the neighborhood but it was the candy that we sought. Upon this sweet discovery there was never a question of not stopping.<br />
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I acquired my sweet tooth from my mom. Mom loved her candy and so it was no surprise after she passed that I found several bags in her closet she had most likely purchased after the holidays at half price. Goodness knows how long they had been there. The candy store as we came to call it carried bin after bin of penny candies sold by the pound as well as every other kind of imaginable candy bars or novelty you can imagine. Mom and I would grab a paper sack and fill them with our favorites and I have have to admit I often had two bags full. We loved that place. <br />
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In 2008 I would once again make my journey down to Naples for my grape tarts and then make the short drive a few miles south to the store. But I arrived on that beautiful Fall day to find it closed and empty, the benches nowhere in sight. In disbelief I peered in the dirty windows where a few pieces of penny candy still remained. It had apparently like so many small town stores fallen victim to the recession. I went back to the car and broke down sobbing. Like Mom it too was now gone.<br />
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I have made my way to Naples for my grape tarts most every year since. Some years I've gone down to check on the store and some years I just couldn't bear to see it as it deteriorated. But this past Sunday as I drove down I just had to check on it. It's been up for sale all these years and I was hoping someone would buy it and once again open a store. I find it looking amazingly good, it has been repainted and has a new roof but is still for sale. Oh if only I had the money....and someone to rebuild those famous benches and candy, lots and lots of candy.</div>
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Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-3947111993748667382014-09-23T19:27:00.004-07:002014-09-28T05:17:17.974-07:00Montezuma<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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It's a beautiful early September day and I'm heading down the NYS thruway to Waterloo, NY which not only is my birthplace but also the birthplace of Memorial Day. My plan is to visit Dad at the Seneca Nursing Home there and take him out for lunch. But a detour is in order first to a place my Mother so loved just a few miles from where I grew up. It's been on my mind since Jemison was released there in 2010 after his rehab. Then again in 2012 when Beauty was also released there after rehab from her injuries sustained in the territorial battle with Unity. I had hoped to go last year but there was too much to do sorting out the house and handling Dad's business after he went in the nursing home. But today I am as free as the wind as I take exit #41 Waterloo which takes me to Rt. 414 known as Mound Rd. </span><br />
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At this point I must make a brief stop to give you the lay of the land. For these surrounding lands are where I was raised, my downhome. A left turn north onto 414 takes you over the thruway bridge to land now farmed by the Amish that was once my uncle's apple orchards. I started picking up cider apples around age 12 and recall it took what seemed like a forever to fill a bin. The land directly across the road from there is now the site of the proposed Tyre casino. I found out recently from my aunt that my great grandmother is buried there. I do not think they will be able to stop the casino if it is approved by the state and it breaks my heart to think what it will do to the surrounding area. A right turn south onto 414 takes you to the intersection with Rt. 318 and a place known as Magee corners. My Uncle Robert was the unofficial mayor of Magee and their large stone house once stood kitty corner from the Magee fire department. My brother and I sold wild strawberries and thimbleberries at a little stand right out in front of the house. Just down the road was my Aunt Kay and Uncle Richards business, Strong's Fruit Farm. The smell of apples and cider filled the air in the fall and I grew up with my three girl cousins who were like sisters to me. Just a few more houses down the road on the corner of Worden Rd. is the house I grew up in with my parents and brother. Surrounded by my mom's many flower gardens and out in back her huge vegetable garden. Further down the road on the property there was a stream and a marsh area we played in.</span><br />
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But now back to my detour where I make a left turn at Mcgee corners onto Rt. 318 heading towards Auburn. I pass the Black Brook Rd. which is the back way we would take to get home in those days. At the intersection of Rt. 318 and Rts. 5 & 20 I take another left. It isn't long before the huge osprey nests atop the power lines come into view and I know I am almost there. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, an untouched gem of pure natural beauty and magnificent wildlife. It was established in 1973 as a national landmark but has been open since 1938. Just over 9,800 acres of swamp and woodlands comprise the refuge and make it an ideal environment for migratory birds. But to me me as a child growing up it was just a really cool place to go. Often we would drive through the refuge looking for wildlife. I did not like climbing the observation towers as I was afraid of heights but I could not resist if Mom spotted something through her binocs. Up I went to check it out and she would try to ID it with her bird guide if we couldn't tell what it was. Mom took us fishing there often during the summer and it was another fun activity for us. I don't recall that we ever took any photographs there, it was a sensory experience in a much simpler time. The memories I have are of sights and sounds and smells that do not fade. They are pieces of me like the land I hold dear. I missed this beautiful place after I grew up and moved away but after moving back to NY in 1991 I once again made trips there with Mom when I visited. As the years went by she wasn't able to climb the towers anymore because her knees weren't good but we would drive through and stop along the way so she could see the wildlife. Whether it was a deer and her fawn or a great blue heron, a flock of geese or a magnificent eagle, she loved them all. The last time we drove through the refuge together was in the summer of 2006 after she had had her third knee replacement. She hoped to once again be able to walk and enjoy doing the things she loved. But it was not meant to be and a year later she left this earth for her heavenly home. She loved October and she took a piece of it with her. </span><br />
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The late blooming wildflowers are a lovely sight as I head out along the 4 mile wildlife drive. As I come to the place where it runs parallel with the NYS thruway I encounter</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;">a white goose right in the middle of the road. In no hurry to move out of the way she watches me intently and then very slowly makes her way towards the edge of the water. I have to believe she is a sign from mom and so I smile as she waddles off. I continue along, stopping every now and then to hold my my binocs up for a close view. The marshes are teeming with migratory birds and the sights and sounds are like old friends to me. I am especially fond of the herons and see several species. As I come around the bend I see what I believe are juvenile eagles soaring overhead. A perfect ending to a perfect day.</span><br />
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I decide to return to the visitor center and check out the gift shop before I leave. I'm looking for a bumper sticker but they don't have any so I end up with a pair of owl earrings that have tiny googly eyes. I talk with the lady about the dire owl situation out in CA due to the drought and she tells me of an owl encounter she had in the adirondacks this past summer. A large white owl flew in front of her car one night to fast for her to get any photos so she could ID it. I smile to myself and think it was quite possibly a barn owl. It's getting towards lunchtime & I need to go pick up Dad soon. The time I've spent here has been much too short but it has refreshed my soul. My past now linked with my future here in this beautiful space. I feel my Mother's presence here, her love of the land and all that inhabit it. And I feel my falcon mother Beauty here also, her strength & resilience rooted in this land that once again set her free on her journey home to her Rochester territory. And I feel Jemison here, who is so very special me as one of my first eyas. I know he flies wild and free out there and someday maybe he will be ID'ed black over green 95W.</span><br />
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When I arrive at the nursing home I notice Bluebell has been muddied up a bit during our drive around the refuge. Her christening I decide, her bright blue now speckled with that precious soil, land that I love.</span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-1072417744731839452013-08-23T09:52:00.000-07:002013-08-27T18:12:42.536-07:00Orion the Miracle PEFA<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As the 2012 Falcon season began my hopes were high for a a successful clutch of eyas. After the previous years disappointment I yearned once again to watch those precious eggs be laid and hatch. But things would not go according to plan.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> In a dramatic series of events that no one could have foreseen any hope of a clutch in 2012 dimmed with each passing day. It all started with a territorial battle between Beauty and Unity in February. Beauty was found on the ground seriously injured and would require much rehab. Unity then claimed the nest box and mated with Archer. But just as she was about to lay her first egg in March Archer appeared with injured legs possibly from a territorial battle. He was not able to recover and I believe he did not survive. Alone with her egg she then began mating with the new male in town Dot.ca. And then the unthinkable, in April Unity is struck and killed by a car and that very same evening Beauty who has been released returns to the nest box. Two events, both caused by human intervention, one leaves us angry and grieving and the other brings us happiness and hope.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Beauty returns 4.6.12</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> For our Beauty, although she appears a bit disheveled, is one brave and determined falcon. But there will be trouble in the days ahead as both her and Dot.ca claim the nest box as their own. I believe they are both confused about the loss of their original mates and uncertain of each other. Dot.ca dives bombs Beauty at the nest box daily but she is not going anywhere. Although it is frustrating and difficult to watch she is not harmed. Other males show up and attempt to mate with Beauty but Dot.ca chases them away. Finally after three weeks of this a sight to behold as we witness bowing between them in the nest box. Is it possible they will finally come together and mate . On April 29th we get our answer as bonding is witnessed between them. But is it too late in the season for a clutch ?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Angel Egg and the 2012 clutch</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> In the middle of all this drama a little egg has sat in the nest box. Laid by Unity after she mated with Archer and then orphaned, most certainly well past the possibility of being viable. And yet she remains waiting and I name her Angel Egg. She is ready when on the 16th of May Beauty lays a miracle egg and then another on the 19th. Hope soars once again for a 2012 clutch. </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now the wait began to see if either of the eggs would hatch. Beauty had been under much stress, suffering injuries and then the initial harassment from Dot.ca. Would it affect the eggs ? Beauty begins incubating and Angel Egg remains next to the two eggs. Dot.ca immediately takes to the egg sitting job but Beauty is not to thrilled about it and often kicks him off 'her' eggs. But one early June morning it is Dot.ca on the eggs when the shell breaks beneath him and he is quite surprised</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> to find his newborn son.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Dot.ca looks down at his new son 6.20.12</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> Banding day comes on July 13th. Angel Egg is removed from the nest box at this time but she has left a lasting presence that will forever remain . The eyas is a male and the name chosen for him is Orion. A constellation of course, with a long O, but is not until I am downtown watching sometime later that I realize I have mispronounced it and so to me he will always be Orion pronounced like Oreo. A good laugh I have over this but at least he will require no other nickname. As an only child with no other siblings to play with Orion finds a little stone named Orville in the box and befriends him. Orville has been around since the Mariah and Kaver days and is part of the Rochester falcon legacy. Orion plays with Orville by pushing him around the box and often sleeps beside him. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> Banding Day 6.13.12</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> On August 2nd Orion takes his first flight off cam 4 the opposite</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> ledge of Times square . He is now officially a fledgling. He takes several more flights and ends up on a Times Square windowsill where a watcher works and we get a great video clip of him resting there. Over the next few days as his flights improve he will find the Frontier Com Tower known as the falcon jungle gym. A great place to learn and practice on and there he finds an abandoned nest which he likes to play in. On August 18th Orion flies back to the nest box to check on his old friend Orville. He manages to get him out onto the deck where he apparently thinks Orville should fledge from like he did. But alas Orville </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">can not fly and he ends up on the sidewalk and street </span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;">below in several pieces. Orville will require some serious rehab. Orion continues his flying lessons and keeps his parents very busy as they teach him the ways of the falcon.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> Orion the miracle PEFA</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> Sept. 8th would be the last official sighting of Orion in Rochester. A juvenile was seen a couple times afterwards but was not officially ID'ed. As he made his way out into the world this miracle PEFA who had brought so much joy in the midst of so many trials would be greatly missed. As the only hatch his every movement had been followed along the way. He was a curious little guy and full of antics that brought smiles to our faces. In a year of Rochester falcon history that will never be forgotten he was a bright and shining star.</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> We</span><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large; text-align: center;"> wish him well on his journey and as I told him before he left, Angel Egg will always be there to guide him. Fly high and safe Orion, You are loved by many.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-26456667440904542202013-07-13T03:03:00.000-07:002013-07-13T03:03:49.404-07:00To Mom on her 80th Birthday<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mom,</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Today would have been your 80th Birthday. And as I head downtown to falcon watchers weekend you are foremost on my mind. Oh how you would have loved to watch these beautiful birds as they soar from building to building. And you would be fascinated by the amazing technology we now have to be able to see them up close on the cams. Such fond memories I have of all those days we spent driving around over at Montezuma, climbing up and down the observation towers. Passing our one pair of binoculars back and forth as you pointed out this bird or that nesting sight. Your love of the land and it's inhabitants deeply instilled in me. And now this country girl, brought up in those wide open spaces has gone urban. Falling madly in love with these city dwelling peregrine falcons. So as I watch these three beautiful juveniles take to the skies I will think of you and smile. And as parents Beauty and Dot teach them the skills they will need to survive on their own I know they will soon leave to make their own way. And I will miss them just as I miss you but the joy they have brought will be forever in my heart, just as you are. Happy Birthday Mom, wish you were here.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Love always,</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rosetta,Voyager & Baron on a rainy day 7.1.13</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMPN2qz37Akk396Yk2dT7mA-i3lbnvYd8M_6Un9FNnX0ZGw7yrCPa-jPcBp99j5jZh5-kLmfPAEOGYu0tjJ6erXzsEH_DPVxumm-QZM3ZrBAb2M8eA1e7JIgsW9kk108R8BUgfC1pwPA/s1600/7.1.13+raindrop+trio.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMPN2qz37Akk396Yk2dT7mA-i3lbnvYd8M_6Un9FNnX0ZGw7yrCPa-jPcBp99j5jZh5-kLmfPAEOGYu0tjJ6erXzsEH_DPVxumm-QZM3ZrBAb2M8eA1e7JIgsW9kk108R8BUgfC1pwPA/s320/7.1.13+raindrop+trio.JPG" width="320" /></a>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-65076000183903238352013-03-10T08:54:00.002-07:002013-03-10T09:00:17.395-07:00MOD Nostalgia <span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I've been feeling very nostalgic about Molly & McGee since we started 2013. Maybe it was the realization that three years had gone by since it all began. Maybe it was the first year without them in anyway to watch or get updates from Carlos . But whatever the case I have felt the need to cling to those precious moments in time, to gather them all close to me, and to somehow keep them in a special place I can go to whenever I need to remember. Some of you know I am just a tad bit addicted to Pinterest and so it seemed natural to keep them there. I originally started with just one M & M board but it has now become three, One for M & M, one for the kidz, and one I call All Things Molly and McGee. And I just can't pin enough of them. Every Vacadude cartoon or captioned photo or MOD paraphernalia a treasure I must hold onto.</span><br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And so it was in Jan. when someone mentioned that Eric Blehm would be soon closing his Molly The Owl online store that I immediately went over to look again. He and Carlos had put together some wonderful items such as those fabulous coffee table books I love. But I hadn't ever purchased the Molly the Owl book as I had no little ones around. With high hopes of someday having a Grand-baby I decided I must get it. So I placed the order. Then early in February my boyfriend asked what I would like for Valentines Day and once again I went back to check the store. I had always wanted that Glowz charm as spiders fascinate me so I ordered it. The orders went through but I didn't hear anything so I sent Eric an email. He replied that he was closing the store but since he knew me from previous orders he was trying to locate the items to send me. I let him know how much I appreciated it and then he asked if I had any of the other charms. I told him no and he said he was including something extra in my package. So I waited in anticipation of it's arrival. And when it came to my amazement he had given me three other charms, Tauntz, I Love Molly & Molly along with the bracelet. He also gave me both of those neat pop-up cards. I was thrilled to say the least to receive all these extra's. Now Eric has officially closed the store & I have these treasures to hold onto and a book for a future MOD. And so time goes on but I hold onto the nostalgia of what once was as I go forward with what will be. Peace*Love*Community, a constant that I hope will last forever, thank you MOD's for being a part of it.</span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-63968038205778840872013-02-14T03:44:00.000-08:002013-02-14T03:44:20.678-08:00Molly & McGee: A MOD Love Story<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here we are in 2013 already and it's hard to imagine three years has passed since we first met them. That owl couple we adored and forever hold in our hearts. Just the sound of their names takes us back to that wonderful magical time we spent at the Owlbox with none other than Molly and McGee and their owlets.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And oh what a time it was. Hour upon hour spent with them, many late into the night for us East coasters. As they mated, brooded and hatched those two amazing clutches we followed every moment. It was all so new to most of us and we learned so much about barn owl behavior through our watching. Every hatch was a wonderful sight to behold and those two owlets lost in the 2nd clutch a reminder of just how fragile life is. We watched them grow from tiny prehistoric looking beings into fuzzy white owlets and then into their beautiful barn owl feathers, a miraculous transition we never tired of. As they fledged one by one it was a nerve racking time that left us on the edge of our seats hoping they would land safely and return to the box. After they all left it was just Molly and McGee together in the box, side by side, sleeping, preening and loving each other. The love and affection they had for one another a sight so priceless and how I best like to remember them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> But time marches on, Carlos went his way and the cams were no more. Last April he gave us the tragic news that McGee did not return while hunting for their 4th clutch and we knew he was gone. Molly tried her best but could not save her owlets. She stayed around the Owlbox for some time afterwards but then she too left. Gone but never forgotten, for these two owls left a legacy that will last a lifetime. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> We call ourselves MOD's and I consider it a privilege to be one. A very special community that has brought so much joy to so many. We've made lasting friendships and met new MOD friends along the way. Who could have imagined the wonderful things that have come from watching those two owls. </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've since found other </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">cams to watch and chat and Facebook groups to gather in and share.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Yet we find ourselves here three years later still as madly in love with Molly and McGee as ever. And I suspect we always will be. </span><br />
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Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-53283982424240181972013-02-03T13:42:00.000-08:002013-02-03T19:18:50.627-08:00The Bravest Little Angel Egg<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> This is a story of heroics and bravery . A story of spirits and legends. And yes this is a story about an extraordinary little egg I named Angel egg.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Archer & Unity bowing</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Angel Egg was laid on March 29th. Her Mother was the lovely Unity and her Father was none other than that tiercel with a white feather named Archer. Just days earlier on March 26th Archer had returned to the nest box injured and unable to stand on his legs. Unity had sensed something was wrong and tried to comfort him. But he managed to fly off</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">was seen on nearby buildings for several days afterwards.</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> So Unity laid Angel Egg alone and was torn</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">between caring for her egg and concern for her Archer. Then a new tiercel who would be identified as Dot.ca appeared in town on April 2nd and Archer was not seen again. DC & Unity bonded and mated and he seemed to consider Angel Egg his right from the start. But the unthinkable occurred on April 6th when Unity was struck and killed by a car while struggling with a pigeon she had caught. Dot.ca waits for her at the nest box in vain, unaware of what has happened. He keeps watch over his Angel Egg. She has lost her beautiful Mother and her Father's whereabouts remain unknown but within her hard shell their spirits are forever contained.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Unity & Dot.ca bowing</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Unity and Angel Egg</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And then just hours after Unity's death, Beauty returns to the nest box, flying back to her familiar territory after being released from Montezuma. She had been in rehab after the injuries she had sustained earlier in her battle with Unity. She barely glances at Angel Egg but settles into her home. But things do not go well. Dot.ca returns to the nest box to find her and he is not happy. Where has his Unity gone ? And Beauty wonders the same about her Archer. They are both very confused about what has happened . Dot continues to harass Beauty day </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">after day but she is determined to stay in her box. It is a bad situation and everyone is very concerned.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Beauty with Angel Egg</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Meanwhile Angel Egg had been sitting unattended in the hot sun for many days. Her beautiful red coloring she wore when hatched had faded until she became almost a pale white egg. Now she was truly an angel. She was almost certainly no longer viable and yet there she sat at the ready. But what was her mission ?</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Was it Unity's spirit attempting to right a wrong after she nearly took the lif</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">e of her Aunt. Was it Archers's spirit dete</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">rmined to keep the Rochester falcon legacy alive, w</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">illing the greatness of his genes into this new fam</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">ily. Yes Angel Egg most </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">surely</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> had a mission. T</span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">o bring these two strong willed falcons together and to watch over their offspring. But it would not be easy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> From the time Beauty returned on April 6th things would be chaotic for the next three weeks. DC did not want Beauty at the nest box and when she was there he continually dive bombed her and chased her away. Just when things appeared to get better another tiercel showed up and all heck broke lose. Beauty bonded with the male but Dot wasn't about to let him stay and chased him off. In the middle of it all on May 16th a first time occurrence. Beauty comes into the nest box and incubates Angel Egg for a few minutes. She quite obviously wants to mate and have her own clutch. But with whom ? On the 20th another tiercel shows up and once again Beauty tries repeatedly with him but Dot will not allow it. On the 24th she once again incubates Angel Egg, this time for well over an hour. Is this a sign of things to come ? One can only hope. Then on the the 27th Dot comes into the nest box and there is bowing and echupping between them, surely a good sign. </span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then after what seemed liked forever a miracle happens and on April 29th they finally bond.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Beauty & Dot.ca finally bowing to each other</span><br />
<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> On May 16th Beauty lays her first egg. A second will follow on the 19th. And then she does something amazing. After practically ignoring Angel Egg up to this point she gently pushes her alongside the other two eggs and settles down on her clutch. Angel Egg has found her place. She will remain next to the rest of the clutch until hatch, a guardian angel to them. Things between Beauty and Dot remain somewhat tense as he likes egg sitting but Beauty is not thrilled and often ousts him from the eggs. But it is Dot on the eggs when just after 6AM on June 20th the shell breaks beneath him and an eyas appears. He looks on in amazement at the birth of his son. The other egg does not hatch but a miracle has occurred. After all the tumultuous events of the past months Rochester falcon watchers finally have an eyas. Angel Egg is now a guardian angel to this precious baby. As Dot & Beautykeep busy providing for their eyas Angel Egg remains vigilant as he grows.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Beauty on Angel Egg & her eggs</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Angel Egg & eyas</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> July 13th will be Angel Egg's last day in the nest box. It is banding day for the eyas. After the eyas was removed for banding they return to collect the unhatched eggs for examination. The other egg is cracked and crumbles as they retrieve it. But Angel Egg is as solid as the day she was laid. They would not be able to determine why she didn't hatch because she only contained the spirits of Archer & Unity. She was never meant to be viable, she was meant to be an Angel Egg and that she was. She had completed her mission and we finally had a miracle pefa named Orion. She will never be forgotten and she lives on in the Rochester falcon legacy. For she truly was the bravest little Angel Egg.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Orion with his guardian Angel Egg</span><br />
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<span style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-24981068364117587112012-09-13T14:08:00.003-07:002012-09-13T14:25:47.864-07:00My Farewell Poem to Orion 9.10.12 on the Social Stream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">He came into our lives one June day</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gave his Daddy quite a fright along the way</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We loved him from the very start</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was no doubt he stole many a heart</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We watched him grow from fuzz to feather</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And MAK was on duty no matter the weather</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A fine young tiercel he came to be</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And now he fly's wild and free</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We'll miss him so</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But will always know</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Angel Egg is by his side</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Forever meant to be his guide</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Farewell Orion, our miracle pefa</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We will never forget you</span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-23139322790320589262012-08-08T10:09:00.001-07:002012-08-08T10:12:20.135-07:00My fledge talk to Orion on the social stream 7/31/12<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Well Orion sleep well little pefa</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">tomorrow the sky will call your name</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and you will spread your wings and soar into it</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is time for you to fly</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do not be afraid, Angel Egg will be right there beside you</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">guiding you on your way</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You are a miracle pefa </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and your story will be told for ages to come</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In this year of triumph and tragedy</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">how your brave Mum and determined Daddy</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">got together and gave us the gift of you</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">You have brought us so much joy</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and it has been a privilege to watch you</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">grow into the beautiful falcon you now are</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So fly high and free, brave and strong,</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">and remember it's always right beside you </span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">because I believe in it</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From Braveheart</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-6946154548498444932012-07-17T18:41:00.001-07:002012-07-21T10:06:19.940-07:00Molly<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I have hesitated to write this story of Molly for several reasons. After all what more can be said about the world's most famous barn owl that hasn't already. She so touched the world that if a Nobel Peace Prize could be awarded to an animal she would be more than deserving. And I admit that even after we lost McGee I held out hope that once again that owl box magic would occur and a new male would come around and take up with our Molly. But magic only lasts for so long, those precious fleeting moments of time when it seemed the world around us stopped and all we could do was gaze at her. But it was Carlos latest blog, with the photo of the cams sitting there that made me realize the time had come. It was the finality of seeing them that sent tears streaming down my face because I knew it meant we would never again see her. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And so I will try to tell her story as best I can from my heart that will forever love her.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And how to describe our Molly. The way the sunlight would shine upon her, that marvelous speckled golden brown array of feathers. And her wonderful golden speckled chest such a contrast to McGee's almost pure white one. But it was her eyes, those deep black pools that seemed to look right into the soul, that made you feel like she knew exactly how you felt. Surrounded by the shape of a golden fringed heart, it was a face of pure love. There will never be any doubt </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">she was the most beautiful owl we have ever seen. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Molly was mated for life to our beloved McGee, may he rest in peace. And it seemed a match made in heaven, these two owls so very much in love. Those timeless photo's of their obvious affection towards one another priceless to us MOD's. The kissy kissy that we never tired of. Such a stunning couple they made side by side in the owl box swaying in the breeze. Oh how we loved to watch them.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Molly was Mother to those two precious clutches we watched. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And our eyes were glued to every moment of her raising the those owlets. The tenderness and and care she displayed was a beautiful sight to behold. Keeping them warm and safely tucked under her as they grew. Tearing prey into bite size bits for the tiny owlets until they were able to shred it for themselves. We saw her gently clean Carey's eyes when we were all concerned over his vision. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in her most unbelievable display of parenting we watched as she gently removed the shell from Jody as she hatched.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Molly taught us so much about owl behavior with her young. And she taught us love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Molly was mate, mother and she was so much more. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Friends often say they can't </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">describe</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> what it means to be a MOD to others. And I know what they mean, after all how can one tell about something so amazing, so inspiring </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">that it defy's </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">description. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">But we MOD's know. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those magical owl box moments that will never be forgotten. We could never get enough of them. We have the songs, the photo's , and the memories. We have the the laughter and the tears.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> They are the common threads that bind us together and will hold us together for years to come. And it is all because of a common barn owl named Molly.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> So wherever her journey has now taken her we wish her well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> May she live long and fly free. She has left us with her legacy and a magic feather to hold onto.</span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-72168429070101365392012-06-05T17:17:00.005-07:002022-03-20T18:56:38.632-07:00Tiercel With a White Feather: The Story of Archer<br />
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<b> Although this story has had its title for quite some time I</b><br />
<b>have waited to write it, hoping I think for answers and an outcome that did not happen. And although it may always have an unfinished ending I feel like now is the time to write it as I remember it. And so here it is from my heart that loved him so, Archer's story.</b></div>
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<b>Archer and his Beauty</b></div>
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<b> Archer was my first male bird of prey, my first tiercel before I even knew what a tiercel was. And he was Daddy to my precious first eyas’s Jemison and Callidora. He was a wonderful provider for the two little ones and on guard duty while Beauty took her time out. Such a cute little man he was with those striped pantaloons and that most distinguishing feature, a single white feather on his right side. 2010 was a magical year for me as I watched him and Beauty raise their two eyas. I will never forget it.</b><br />
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<b>2010 Archer feeding Jemison & Callidora</b></div>
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<b>2010 Archer on guard</b></div>
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<b> In 2011 I once again looked forward to another clutch from Beauty and Archer But as I would learn things do things do not always go as well. Beauty laid 3 eggs and I had high hopes of eyas but Archer started bonding with another female out at KP. She was eventually ID’ed as Unity. Due to the stress of the situation and other contributing factors none of the eggs hatched. It was a very disappointing year to say the least.</b></div>
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<b>5.6.11 Archer on eggs</b></div>
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<b>5.7.11 Archer rolling eggs</b></div>
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<b> As 2012 dawned I was full of high hopes for the coming year and eagerly awaiting the return of that special little man from his winter vacation. But just as the season was about to get started Unity decided she wanted the prime location and a territorial battle left Beauty injured and in rehab. It was not the start I had envisioned. With Unity now in control of the territory and making herself at home in the nest box I waited on Archer’s return and prayed for Beauty to heal. Due to the warm spring it was expected he might arrive even earlier than last year but he came in on March 14th actually a few days later. And oh how I was overjoyed to see him and his white feather. He seemed a bit confused at first about the situation. Why was Unity now in his penthouse location and where was his Beauty ? He even went out to KP to check things out as if maybe Beauty might have gone there. But she was not there and Unity was at the nest box and so in a couple of days they began to bow and mate. It is the way of the falcon. And things appeared to be going well until a tragic turn of events on March 26th. As watchers online looked on in horror Archer came onto the deck and plopped down looking very much in distress. He somehow managed to get into the nest box and Unity flew in and there was that moment she looked down at him with such tenerness and concern. She melted my heart that day and I will always love her for loving him. Archer was not able to stand and it appeared his legs were injured but he managed to take off and fly to the Wilder building. Then he flew again and could not be located. Our amazing crew of watchers went into action. MAK and Joyce stayed downtown all night looking for him and even used a spotlight. Shaky used the pan cam to search the surrounding rooftops for any sign of him. He was eventually found the next day as he flew off the Bausch and Lomb building. Archer was seen several times over the next few days making shorts flights but he never returned to the nest box. He spent much of his time lying flat on the corner of the same building and occasionally popping his head up. Unity was seen near him and it was thought she was bringing him food. But when he was spotted in flight both his legs appeared to still be dangling. On March 29th Unity laid her first egg, she had tried to hold it in as long as possible but it was time. She appeared torn between tending to Archer and guarding her egg. On the 30th and 31st of March Archer was spotted lying flat on the corner of the Bausch and Lomb building. Archer was last seen on Monday April 2nd on his favorite place, the Mercury statue. He appeared to have a full crop. That same day another Canadian tiercel showed up in town who would later be ID'ed as Dot.Ca. It will never be known for certain if Archer left town on his own realizing he was unable to defend himself or if he was escorted out by Dot.Ca. Or is it possible he was just too weak by then to leave and crossed over the Rainbow Bridge on a rooftop somewhere in downtown Rochester ? Maybe Unity is the only one who knew. Also on Monday April 2nd Beauty was released from the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge. Everyone expected her to head straight back to her territory and there was much concern over her and Unity battling again over it. But in yet another fateful twist of events on Good Friday April 6th, Unity was tragically killed by a car and just a few hours later Beauty arrived at the nest box. Archer would not be seen again.</b><br />
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<b>3.14.12 Archer's return</b></div>
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<b>Archer and Unity bowing 3.12</b></div>
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<b>3.26.12 Archer comes to the deck injured</b></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Unity </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>concerned</b></span></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> over her injured Archer 3.26.12</b></div>
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<b>Unity alone with her egg 4.1.12</b></div>
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<b>Last photo of Archer on Mercury (taken by MAK)</b></div>
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<b style="color: #333333; font-family: "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I will always believe in my heart that there should and could have been an attempt to rescue Archer. The DEC knew his legs were injured in some way, possibly from a collision with a building or wires or maybe some sort of infection from a battle wound. And our watchers knew his location on several occasions. It was said there could not be an attempt unless he went to ground, that a rooftop rescue might frighten him and cause further injury. And maybe it would have. We will never know. But I have to wonder if Archer's fate was determined simply by the fact he did not or was not able to go to ground. Beauty did and thank God for the person that found her, we still have her with us. Some have said that to rescue is to intervene, I say to rescue is to save a life. Some have said we must let nature take it's course. But then we would not be watching our Beauty sitting proudly on her clutch right now. I can't help but question the decision that was made about Archer. After all Archer was no ordinary falcon. Not only an endangered species, but also a </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>descendent</b></span></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from a royal lineage. Grandson to Rochester's famed Mariah and Kaver with a legacy know to falcon watchers world wide. And as far as I know their only </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>descendent</b></span></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: "lucida grande", tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to return to Rochester as the resident tiercel and raise a clutch. Was it not owed to him to at least try and help save him ?</b></div>
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<b>After Unity was killed Dot.Ca continued for what seemed like weeks on end to pester poor Beauty. He did not understand the situation and neither did she. I lit candles and prayed for Archer's miraculous return. I dreamed of a falcon version of knight on a white horse. That a little tiercel with a white feather would swoop in and rescue his damsel in distress. But a miracle did not happen and he did not come home. And so the story ends without an ending, only what my heart feels, which is that Archer did not survive. I truly believe if he had healed and if he had been able he would have come back to his territory, to look for his Beauty and his Unity. If someday I am proven wrong and someone looks up in the sky and says "there he is , a tiercel with a white feather" It will be the happiest of days. Until then Godspeed Archer, may you fly free wherever you are. I will love you always.</b></div>
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<b>Braveheart</b></div>
Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-35613332063740922842012-04-15T10:06:00.001-07:002012-04-15T10:24:13.509-07:00Triumph and Tragedy : A Tale of Two Peregrines<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">She showed up last April out at the old Kodak Park site and was first known as 'Lady Pefa'. I was eagerly awaiting Beauty & Archer's 2nd clutch and not paying much attention to her. But then came the shocker - her male counterpart was none other than Beauty's Archer. In early May she was finally I.D.ed as 'Unity', a pretty young thing who had seemingly caught Archer's eye. Her nest sight appeared to be nothing more than a pile of pigeon poop. Archer was flying back and forth between the two sites leaving Beauty alone for long periods of time. And she knew it, oh she knew and it was so very sad to watch her looking off in the direction of KP. And so it was at the end of May when none of Beauty's eggs had hatched that I admit I blamed Unity. There were other factors that could have contributed but it was Beauty's stressing over Archer's other woman that I believed - I did not want to like her. Unity also laid a clutch and although she was not very interested in them Archer spent more & more time with her. It was hard to watch. 2011 ended up being a very disappointing year here in Rochester with no hatches.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">So the arrival of 2012 brought the promise of new clutches but little did I know what awaited. It all started on Super Bowl Sunday when I saw a Rfalconcam FB post that Beauty was at the Nest Box. I got the cam up and there she was, quite upset about something in her territory but looking very beautiful and I was happy to see her. Archer would be home soon & I was looking forward to seeing him as well. I assumed that Beauty was just protecting her territory from some migrating falcons and didn't give it much thought at the time. But just days later Beauty was found on the ground by her favorite roosting spot near the Xerox tower, injured. She had been in a territorial battle and the suspect was none other than Unity. Unity had been downtown before and she had been sent packing by Beauty last year after a scrap on the Kodak building which was photographed by a watcher who worked there. Had she been waiting and watching for the right time to come back. Did the migrating falcons trigger her into thinking Archer had returned or did she sense Beauty's vulnerability & decide the time was right. Whatever the case she made a move to take Beauty's territory and sure enough not long after there she was at the nest box. Quite clearly she had wanted the penthouse. Meanwhile my beloved Beauty was in rehab with injuries I didn't know if she would recover from. She is so special to me - the first falcon I ever saw on the cam & Mother my precious Jemison & Callidora. I was heartbroken. As reports came in on her condition it appeared she would make it after she healed and gained strength. I was relieved and kept the candles burning for her. Unity was a large female and I have to admit a gorgeous one. She loved to preen and was quite the whiner, I called her the Diva falcon. I also had to admire her as a girl who knew what she wanted and went for it. But I was still not ready to like her. She first flirted with an unbanded tiercel and even mated with him as I anxiously awaited Archer's return. Archer came home on the 13th of March and when I saw that white feather I was overjoyed ! He was confused at first, unsure why Unity was in the nest box and wondering where his Beauty was. He promptly chased the other male out. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Archer and Unity continued their courtship with him bringing her gifts of prey and they eventually mated. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't exactly what I had hoped for but I wanted Eyas this year very badly. I was very concerned about Beauty's return now that Unity and Archer were at the nest box together but she was healing and would be released soon. And then just as it appeared Unity was about to lay a clutch, the unthinkable happened. On March 26th Archer showed up at the nest box and something was terribly wrong. There he lay flat out and motionless on the deck. Unity came into the box and that photo of her cocking her head looking down at him with such concern is something I will never forget. How could I not love her for loving him. He managed to fly off but it was his legs hanging down that told the story. But what had happened was uncertain - had Archer been injured somehow or was it an infection from an old battle wound. He lay low for the next several days and Unity did her best to attend to him. On March 29th she laid her first egg. I hoped and prayed Archer would heal and return to the nest box once again but it was not meant to be. On April 2nd a new male showed up and Archer was not seen again. Was he chased out by DotCa or did he realize he was no match for him due to his injuries and leave on his own. Whatever the case he was gone. DotCa, a very large and fast Canadian tiercel wasted no time in mating with Unity. He now believed the nest box was his. </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unity's egg by Archer sat in the box alone and I hoped with Unity and DotCa mating there would soon be more.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> And then came the news that Beauty had been released at Montezuma. Only a few miles from where I grew up it is a beautiful wildlife refuge but I was certain she would make her way back to her territory in Rochester which is about an hour away. And then came Good Friday April 6th. Unity had appeared heavy with egg and I was expecting her to lay at any time. My son was coming home for Easter so I was preparing for his arrival. I left around 4:30 to have the usual Friday night soup & sandwich meal with my boyfriend. Unity was in the nest box preening. My son called around 6pm to say he was home so I came </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">back and although I had the laptop on we were busy in conversation catching up on things so I wasn't paying attention. I could see a falcon at the nest box and assumed it was Unity but it was dark by then so I didn't get a good look. I hadn't read the social stream. But then I heard chupping and there was something about the sound of it that made me get up and run to the laptop - it did not sound like Unity. And then I started to read and they were telling me it Beauty ! I went to Rfalconcam FB and there she was - a bit disheveled but her special striped band crystal clear. But where was Unity then. Gone they said, she had been killed. Apparently while struggling with a pigeon she had taken to ground Unity was run down by a car near the library and killed instantly. To the irresponsible driver who took the life of this beautiful creature I say shame on you. It is one thing to deal with harsh realities of nature, it is another altogether to deal with human cruelty to nature. And so the falcon I had tried not to like but had grown to admire and who had eventually won my heart was gone. Taken before her time by this reckless act. Rest in Peace Unity and soar with the Angels my Diva falcon. And now Beauty who only knows that the nest box has been empty for several hours makes her triumphant return to what she considers her territory. I am so sad about Unity but so very happy to see her. But Archer is not there and she is confused. DotCa also not knowing what has happened returns to the nest box and finds Beauty rather than Unity in what he considers his territory. They are both confused and do not like each other. A new male shows up and mates with Beauty but DotCa chases him away. Beauty holds her ground as DotDa continues to harass her. He appears to be mating with another female at another location and I can only hope he will let Beauty be so she can have some peace. She is a most beautiful strong falcon and she is a survivor with a brave heart. And so the story continues.......</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unity</span><br />
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</span>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-65191000180733253192012-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:002013-03-05T06:20:13.348-08:00McGee - My Final Farewell<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This past Monday had been an ordinary day. I was tired from the "Spring ahead" and admittedly looking forward to a quiet night. Last week's Anniversary celebration had been wonderful but I was counting on a slow night on FB and it seemed to be such. So I was siting on the couch, doing nothing but watching that ridiculous Bachelor show. Sometime after 9pm I went over to my laptop and saw two words up and down the posts "McGee gone" and in an instant the day changed. Funny how life is like that isn't it. Loss hits us like a ton of bricks, stops us dead in our tracks and turns our lives upside down. For regardless of what the Molly song said, neither Molly nor McGee ended up being just common barn owls to us MOD's. They have become so much a part of our lives because of everything we've shared with them. Carlos and his cams brought them into our lives and most of all into our hearts.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">And McGee was our Superhero, flying into the box with those blazing white legs in a frenzy of feathers "Leggz McGee" to the rescue ! Providing meals for our precious owlets. Tallies were kept on the number of deliveries and type of meal. Discussions over was it a mouse, a rat, a gopher could last for hours. And it was that "fling and fly" delivery style he became so famous for. And those beautiful, wonderful white legs most often all of him we saw. It wasn't until Molly and McGee were empty nesters after the 3rd clutch that we saw Molly and McGee alone in the box. Their obvious affection for each other was a sight to behold and the screen shots I took from that time are beyond precious to me.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">McGee was our hero. Provider to those amazing clutches and mate to our beloved Molly. Dashing as any male barn owl we've ever seen with his white chest, oh how we loved him. And I think to to us he was invincible as Superhero's are so Carlos report came as a great shock to us. McGee gone ! How could it be ? We know he would never abandon Molly and their 4th clutch. What happened we will never know, but while on another of his Superhero missions something went awry and he did not return. Molly tried as hard as she could but could not save precious little DeeDee and those 3 other angel eggs. And so it is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of this amazing owl. But we will cherish the memories always. Fly free McGee, we will miss you. Molly has moved on and so must we - it is the way of the owl.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">McGee Royal 3.12.12 May he Rest in Peace</span><br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-14279390785240882522012-04-09T09:57:00.009-07:002012-04-15T05:50:45.452-07:00CALLIDORA'S STORY The Beginning Part 1<div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora hatched on the afternoon of May 18th, 2010 high atop the Time Square building in downtown Rochester, NY where the nest box is located.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/393812_10150556612914668_510109667_8865472_679358841_a.jpg" fbid="10150556612914668" height="400" hmac="ATpNF_d_4kHkS47l" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/393812_10150556612914668_510109667_8865472_679358841_a.jpg" width="267" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">I heard about it on our local channel 5PM news & they gave out a link to the cam. I had never heard of Ustream so it was all very new to me. But I copied the link & watched in amazement as the 2nd egg hatched later that evening. It was love at first sight & I was hooked !</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Here is a photo of the nest box which is located in the top left hand corner of the building.</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408323_10150556651264668_510109667_8865649_1034552080_a.jpg" fbid="10150556651264668" height="266" hmac="AToppdERFXBPBvpl" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/408323_10150556651264668_510109667_8865649_1034552080_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">I had no idea how to use the Social Stream & it took me quite awhile to figure it out but I finally did & there were many people on it that helped me learn about these magnificent birds of prey.</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Here is my very first screenshot of the Eyas as falcon chicks are called taken 5.31.10</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/396946_10150556671179668_510109667_8865744_144983958_a.jpg" fbid="10150556671179668" height="225" hmac="ATp71dtHHkX0G9JI" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/396946_10150556671179668_510109667_8865744_144983958_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">As you can see Callidora has a full crop. She was a big girl with a big appetite right from the start</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Here are the proud parents, Mom & Dad</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Beauty 6.2.10</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395546_10150557237194668_510109667_8868217_1474713961_a.jpg" fbid="10150557237194668" height="260" hmac="ATqb5JDV6Do3hdjU" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/395546_10150557237194668_510109667_8868217_1474713961_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: blue;">Good morning Sunhine 6.8.10</span></div><div style="font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396450_10150590772184668_510109667_8962105_865064173_a.jpg" fbid="10150590772184668" height="366" hmac="ATqNPqJbwFjmg-a0" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/396450_10150590772184668_510109667_8962105_865064173_a.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora grew & began exploring - here she is looking out at the big wide world 6.8.10</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399597_10150557112884668_510109667_8867840_12052796_a.jpg" fbid="10150557112884668" height="310" hmac="ATq9yoOzq50nZIij" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399597_10150557112884668_510109667_8867840_12052796_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">She was always eager for a meal & here is Daddy feeding the kids 6.9.10</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401404_10150557120884668_510109667_8867875_2105439623_a.jpg" fbid="10150557120884668" height="235" hmac="ATqOy-1j5Ei-qnBv" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/401404_10150557120884668_510109667_8867875_2105439623_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora & Jemison all snuggled up 6.9.10</span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399634_10150557260814668_510109667_8868318_2024128410_a.jpg" fbid="10150557260814668" height="337" hmac="ATpTquOEGY1hLkRX" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/399634_10150557260814668_510109667_8868318_2024128410_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora & Jemison are now 4 weeks old & banding day is coming up</span></div>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-80708303326161102882012-04-09T09:57:00.005-07:002012-04-09T09:57:24.969-07:00Banding Day Part 2<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: blue;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Banding Day Morning 6.10.10 'feather in my mouth'</span></div><div style="font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><strong><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407132_10150590791569668_510109667_8962159_1721442813_a.jpg" fbid="10150590791569668" height="255" hmac="ATrtq-0cRU8d3h-u" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407132_10150590791569668_510109667_8962159_1721442813_a.jpg" width="400" /></strong></div><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Banding day for the eyases was scheduled for June 10th at 10 AM and it was going to be streamed live on the cams. I was very excited and had re-arranged my schedule so I could come home and watch it. Peregrines are considered an endangered species here in NY and and ones raised in nestboxes like this are banded by the DEC. They were not sure how Beauty and Archer would react so they wear hard hats & carry brooms in case of being attacked. But being first time parents they didn't know what to expect & the eyas were retrieved through a door in the side of the nest box, put into a tote & quickly brought into the office they were borrowing to use for the banding. They are given health checks and their sex is determined by the leg measurement. Jemison was banded a small female but will always be a boy to me. He was named by Rfalconcam.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em><span style="color: blue;">"Mary Jemison was called “the White Woman of the Genesee.” Kidnapped in Pennsylvania by the Shawnee and French in 1755 at an early age, she was given to the Seneca. Later married to a Delaware brave. She traveled with her baby son, on foot, more than 700 miles to the Genesee river valley. She lived with the Seneca for the rest of her life, gaining respect as as advocate of her adopted nation. "</span></em></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora, large as she was , left little doubt she was a female. She was named by a local Kindergarten class.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570205779668" height="266" hmac="ATpzqTc1GsIt1oo-" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/398653_10150570205779668_510109667_8904998_1472214727_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em><span style="color: blue;">"The name comes from two Greek words, “Kallos” (’beauty’) and Doron (’gift’). Thus, the name means “Gift of Beauty”. The class thought that was quite fitting since Beauty is their mother’s name."</span></em></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Colored electrical tape are placed over the bands on the left leg so the eyases can be indentified easily by watchers. Callidora has red & Jemison has blue. They were then placed back in the box and all was well.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150565235354668" height="315" hmac="ATqnoRA2rU30XHoS" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/426867_10150565235354668_510109667_8891224_1574362115_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Later that day they get a banding day dinner from Mom</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150565232679668" height="226" hmac="ATq2rh_-pRjvSR0Y" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405464_10150565232679668_510109667_8891219_559925325_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Showing off their Bling !</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150565255124668" height="252" hmac="ATrpUuuMEVUF0cZ6" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/420658_10150565255124668_510109667_8891235_1747541395_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora doing her Wingcercise !</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150565258564668" height="383" hmac="ATq9fUEGj4Hd4E6O" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/421226_10150565258564668_510109667_8891240_1729941672_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">And the last picture for this segment & my favorite which I use as my Avatar I call</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">"Talking things Over"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150565264909668" height="335" hmac="ATqHP-rtnmQJ4-Fm" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/432104_10150565264909668_510109667_8891249_2031331209_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">As you can see their feathers are starting to come in & next they start to explore & head out on the porch</span></div>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8534831904846076025.post-15013074518181992462012-04-09T09:57:00.002-07:002012-04-09T09:57:04.590-07:00Feathers & Freedom Part 3<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora & Jemison are now almost 5 weeks old and growing steady with many meals from Mom & Dad. The adorable white fuzzballs are now turning into eyas with juvenile plumage and they are changing almost daily. It is so much fun to watch them as they explore their surroundings and strengthen their wings to ready themselves for flight.</span><br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: blue;">Losing the fuzz 6.17.10</span></div><div style="font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/409422_10150590831574668_510109667_8962239_144845195_a.jpg" fbid="10150590831574668" height="333" hmac="AToXdK1uaswZNb55" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/409422_10150590831574668_510109667_8962239_144845195_a.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Morning perching 6.19.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570018429668" height="364" hmac="ATpztxDtijN7xinj" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/422333_10150570018429668_510109667_8904616_1016905436_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora w/ her fuzzy britches 6.20.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 11px;"><img fbid="10150570040074668" height="320" hmac="ATrl5EqahVMw53CJ" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/419501_10150570040074668_510109667_8904673_314925988_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="318" /></div><div style="color: #333333; font-size: 11px;"><br />
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<div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: blue;">Side by side 6.20.10</span></div><div style="font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/426491_10150590825079668_510109667_8962232_1561723407_a.jpg" fbid="10150590825079668" height="362" hmac="ATqYzuM8yAP_GXOy" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/426491_10150590825079668_510109667_8962232_1561723407_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><span style="color: #333333; font-size: 11px;"> </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora with her prey 6.20.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570124524668" height="246" hmac="ATovmnHdVXwocTYb" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402401_10150570124524668_510109667_8904858_834604241_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;"> <span style="background-color: transparent;">Callidora looking fierce 6.21.10</span></span></div><div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img _mce_src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427018_10150590750069668_510109667_8962035_1147182301_a.jpg" fbid="10150590750069668" height="240" hmac="ATq6Xq8tzgaGZc-C" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427018_10150590750069668_510109667_8962035_1147182301_a.jpg" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
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</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora out on the porch 6.23.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570139484668" height="386" hmac="ATrFcyJ2Hg3tt-Hu" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/418440_10150570139484668_510109667_8904870_578877339_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Big yellow feet 6.24.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570147069668" height="228" hmac="ATrZyaSPHdj69XMF" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/405576_10150570147069668_510109667_8904883_1225847116_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora ready to Fledge 6.24.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570119954668" height="300" hmac="ATrNcV8I8-qRjVkE" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421475_10150570119954668_510109667_8904852_1842588408_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">Callidora up on the rooftop 6.26.10</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img fbid="10150570174404668" height="291" hmac="ATpKgupGaoW4U8Ag" src="https://fbcdn-photos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/427128_10150570174404668_510109667_8904940_1586349076_a.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" width="400" /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 16px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: blue;">It seems they grew up so fast and next they will Fledge - the final story</span></div>Braveheart2665http://www.blogger.com/profile/07621542381129479316noreply@blogger.com0